Time to Go Home
by Abby1
Summary: Xander Harris was given the choice to save the world and he took it, nine years later it's time to go home. One Tree Hill crossover. Story Complete.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own Xander, I don't own One Tree Hill. In fact I don't own a lot.

Rating: 15 to be safe

Spoilers: The whole BTVS universe and season 1 One Tree Hill 13.

AN: I've had this in my head for days and it's driving me nuts, I have to get it out! For this to work you need to suspend reality and also ignore the fact that Dan bought Keith's garage on One Tree Hill. This is AU so no yelling.

Summary: After 9 years of saving the world Xander finds out home has not always been the Hellmouth.

Chapter 1

The year had been 1995, he had been 14 and he was offered the world, or at least the chance to save it so he took it.

Xander Harris sang along loudly to the bad county music on the only radio station he could find and tried to let the hideous lyrics wash the memories from his thoughts. It wasn't working. Like a film no one would turn off the moment his life changed played over and over in his mind.

He had been 14 and the youngest brother of three, the much younger brother of three. Life had been spent in the shadow of his basketball playing, trophy wife, perfect life big brother. Home had been a place he slept and tried to avoid the inevitable 'why aren't you better at playing basketball' talk and the feeling that maybe he had been a mistake.

And then it all got to be too much and he'd run from the house after a fight with his parents, he ran as far as he could possibly run and he had met a man who told him about fate.

" You have a destiny Xander, a great path for you to take. You are the world's White Knight and the world needs you."

Xander was meant to save the world, it was what he was made to do.

At the time home had been impossible, school sucked and the little moments in his life when he was really happy were too far between, it made sense that he was meant for greater things, or at least to an ignored youngest child it did.

Whistler had set him on the right path, had magicked him into another family and provided him with life long friends and funny memories and erased the memories of Xander's true past and in return Xander had helped save the world...a lot.

And then it was all over, the world had more Slayers then hellmouths and apocalypses.

Anya was dead, Buffy in Europe, Willow in South America, Giles in England, Dawn in Cleveland and Xander began to feel an ache in his heart, a strange feeling that he was missing something.

Growing up with the Scoobies and even on the Hellmouth Xander had been happy, he never would have changed his life. But sometimes in the night when he patrolled and heard the noise of kids playing basketball on well lit courts he'd get a strange feeling in his gut, a longing to be somewhere he didn't know where to be.

Walking into the kitchen one morning a funny man in a funnier hat had told him to sit and to listen. Whistler explained the choice that Xander made,

" It's what you wanted, you wanted to make a difference, to follow your destiny, to be somebody but now I think you're ready for the truth. You deserve it."

The memories of his first home, his parents, his brothers had washed over him like a Tsunami the bad sometimes outweighing the good moments, but regardless Xander knew what he had to do.

Xander Scott had to go home to One Tree Hill.


	2. Feels like Home

Standard Disclaimer applies.

Summary: Xander returns home to One Tree Hill after a nine year absence spent as a different person.

AN: This is set in the current time frame of One Tree Hill so Lucas etc are still teenagers.

Rating: 15

Spoilers: One Tree Hill ep 13.

Feels like home

When things at home got bad Xander would walk his nephew Lucas to the riverside basketball courts. The seven year old would play for hours and Xander would sit on the sidelines listening to the sound of the ball hitting the asphalt and the problems in his life would be slowly washed away with each metallic swish of the net.

Nine years ago he had a fight with his Father Royal Scott, the older man had snapped and slapped his teenage son across the face and Xander had run from the house, run to the riverside courts. Where he hoped everything would feel right, there he had met Whistler and life had changed... for the better.

It seemed fitting then that upon returning to One Tree Hill he would visit the old riverside courts first, parking his car he strolled through the night toward the sounds of voices on the court.

Teenagers were gathered at the courts but there was no basketball, no happy cheering. Girls and boys alike drew on the ground with chalk and Xander moved closer to see what was happening.

Some of the boys gave him cautious looks and he supposed he deserved them, he was a man amongst teenagers, he wore a battered eye patch and ratty blue jeans with a black plain t-shirt that clung to the muscles he's developed from saving the world and working construction. He didn't belong in the moment the teenagers existed in.

A blonde haired girl with wild curly hair observed him from the bleachers and he twisted his head slightly to read the artwork scrawled on the ground. ' Get well Lucas!' The purple words ordered and inside Xander he felt a pang of worry, of fear.

Looking towards the river Xander closed his eye and allowed his memory to take him back to warm summer nights, walking hand in hand with his nephew. Letting the childish chatter wash over him as the boy talked about stats and ball players.

Opening his eye again he noticed the girl staring at him again and he tilted his head in her direction to get a better look. She sat next to a group of boys on the bleachers yet she was alone. Standing she jumped down from the bleachers and moved over towards him.

" You lost?" She asked boldly and Xander smiled, a smile that would never reach his eyes.

" Why? Do I look lost?"

" It's just this is a small town, and you're not from around here." The girl stated and Xander nodded.

" What's this?" He asked letting one hand gesture towards the court.

" It's for a friend." The girl said and Xander stared at her waiting for her to continue but she didn't so he smiled again.

" Lucas, what happened to him?" He asked and the girl stared at him a beat before answering,

" He got hurt. What do you want?"

" From you, nothing." Xander explained and turned away feeling the girl's eyes on him as he left.

Lucas was hurt. Lucas was grown up now, he'd missed that Xander thought as he moved back to his car.

Driving through the town again Xander knew where he was going without actually knowing why he was going there. It was as if the thought of his family hurt acted like a magnet drawing him towards the hospital.

Ignoring the bad memories that came with hospital visits Xander climbed the stairs to the ward in which his nephew lay. A nurse had been sweet talked out of the information he had craved. Lucas was seriously hurt in a car accident and had yet to regain consciousness after surgery.

The ward was quiet now, visiting hours long over. The chance of running into someone who would tell him he shouldn't be there higher.

Xander found the room he was searching for easy, years of negotiating the maze of hospital wards having been an advantage. The room was empty save for a tall boy lying as if asleep in the single bed. Taking a look up and down the hallway Xander moved into the room silently and let his eye scan over the numerous bunches of brightly colored flowers and strings of helium balloons.

And then he was standing beside the bed of the teenager he had known as a child.

" Looks like you grew." Xander let the words come out in a soft voice, " Look kid I know you probably wouldn't remember me but I remember you and you used to help me out when things were tough, so if I can do the same..." He let the words trail off and he sighed softly.

There was a noise at the door as someone walked in and stopped and Xander closed his eye briefly in frustration, not wanting to turn around.

" Hi, Are you a friend of Lucas' " A voice asked and Xander's head dropped as he recognized the voice to be that of Karen Roe, Lucas' mother. A direct link to his brothers.

" I was." Xander answered still not turning around, " Maybe I will be again."

The woman moved into the room standing on the opposite side of the bed and Xander turned to look at her. Even after nine years she looked the same, he supposed he had changed some.

Karen was staring at him her eyes taking in every inch of his appearance her mind obviously trying to place the face as it tugged at memory strings.

" Do I know you?" She finally asked,

" You did." Xander replied and Karen frowned and then her mouth opened in shocked realization and she let out a gasp.

" Xander?" She asked tears forming in her eyes and Xander nodded.

" Xander?" She asked again and she was moving around the bed, trapping him with no place to go.

" Oh my god!" She exclaimed as she moved forwards and threw her arms around the man standing in front of her.

Xander returned the hug with one arm and Karen pulled back and stared at him with so much intensity he felt himself take a step back.

" What are you doing here?" She finally asked and Xander shrugged and pointed to the boy in the bed.

" My favorite nephew's hurt and I can't come and visit? " He asked and Karen burst into tears.

Xander let the woman opposite him cry without immediately offering support finally he took a step forward and wrapped an arm around her and dragged her into his body in a comforting hug.

The man and the woman stood not speaking and the only sound in the room came from her quiet sobs.

So this is what it felt like to be home, and he guessed he'd feel a lot more before he left.


	3. The wait

Disclaimer still applies.

Royal Scott had never been able to get over the fact that his eldest boy had blown his chances at college ball only to return home to a scandal. Xander had been only six when Dan Scott had announced that even though his high school sweetheart was pregnant he was still going to Richmond for college. Not being able to really understand the fights the Scott family had been having at the time made little difference. All Xander remembered was that his family used to shout a lot.

When Lucas was born, Keith took Xander to the hospital to meet his nephew and Xander was instantly hooked on the little family. Of course Royal had hated that, his two sons hanging out with Lucas and Karen when they should have been smitten with Dan and Nathan, and while Royal could do nothing about Keith spending time with Lucas he made it damned near impossible for Xander to do so.

Not that it had ever stopped him, Xander would sneak over to Karen's straight after school while Royal was at work and May was babysitting Nathan. When he got older around 11 he'd go to bed early only to sneak out a window and run to the cottage that Karen and Lucas lived in. When Royal found out what his youngest son was up to he was livid and for a year Xander had nearly never seen Karen and Lucas, then at 12 Keith had persuaded Royal to let Xander practice basketball down at the river courts in the summer evenings, and every night Xander would take Lucas to the courts in secret and watch him play.

Not that this solved anything, Royal couldn't understand why his youngest boy was so crap at basketball even though he 'trained' every night, but Xander wasn't interested in the sport, he was only on the junior league team because it covered his lie. The lie lasted two years.

Xander had blown a huge game when his coach had made him go into a playoff game for an injured player and Xander had practically given the game away to the other team because he was so bad. The car ride home had been spent in a deathly silence, Dan and Royal sitting in the front staring straight ahead.

When they'd dropped Dan off at his house he'd gotten out of the car with a parting shot,

" It's hard to believe you're a Scott sometimes Xander."

The silence ended when Father and Son finally got home and May, Xander's mother had asked how the game had gone. Royal and May soon got into a huge argument about the pressure Royal placed on Xander to play basketball and upset at seeing Royal yelling at May, Xander had announced that he would quit the team, that he never wanted to play, and then he'd told them about the riverside court lie.

Father and Son yelled at each other for ten minutes, Xander had yelled that he was sick of being compared to Dan, that couldn't Royal tell Xander was trying to be his own person. Royal had yelled at Xander for being the source of his embarrassment in the town and Xander had replied, 

" You think I'm an embarrassment. God Dad! What about Dan? What about you? You're a grown man living his life through his sons! Is your life really that pathetic!"

Royal had struck out at Xander and before the pair even knew what was happening, Xander's lip was split and blood trickled from his mouth and the teenager had pushed past his Father angrily,

" I hate you!" Xander had yelled on his way to the door,

" Yeah well if you hate me so much, don't bother coming back!" Royal had yelled after the figure of his son as he ran from the house. Royal had yelled words that would haunt him for years.

When Xander didn't come home that night May drove around to Karen's to fetch him only to find he wasn't there. Keith and Dan had driven every mile of the town , checking every nook and cranny for their missing brother but there was no point because by the time they were calling Xander's name into the woods, he was already in a new home, in a new bed, in a new life.

Xander Scott had become Xander Harris.

Sitting in a comfortable silence in a hospital room nine years later neither Karen nor Xander quite knew what to say to each other.

" Oh God, I should call Keith." Karen stated reaching for her phone but although she held the phone out ready she couldn't bring herself to punch in the numbers.

" You that mad at him?" Xander asked and Karen snapped out of her daze and shot him a glare,

" He nearly killed my son!" She spat, Xander nodded suddenly remembering the anger he had felt towards Angel for being responsible for putting Willow in the hospital.

Xander stood staring at Lucas lying still in the bed.

" You're going?" Karen asked sounding worried and Xander looked at her and nodded once,

" My folks, they still live in the old house?" He asked

" No, they moved away soon after you left, I think being here was a bit too tough on your Dad." Karen told him and Xander raised and eyebrow.

" You left Xander, you just disappeared, we searched everywhere! God, we thought you were dead!"

Karen remembered driving to the nearby towns, interviewing bus drivers and plastering posters to every free wall space. Karen remembered Royal turning up on her doorstep desperate to know if his son had called her. Karen remembered Royal in tears, asking for her forgiveness for the way he'd ignored her and Lucas. Trying to find redemption for losing his son.

" Some things have changed." Karen stated and Xander let out a small laugh,

" But most things are the same?" He asked and Karen sighed,

From outside the room a stern voice carried down the empty hallway,

" Sir, You can't be here!" Xander looked over to the door and stood casually moving to the doorway and peering out into the hallway.

A nurse was in the process of blocking the entrance to the children's ward with her body from a tall man dressed like he'd fallen out of a bad seventies horror flick. Black leather pants, and plaid shirt. Xander sighed, Vampires. They just couldn't leave him alone.

The vamp pushed the nurse out of the way violently and went to move into the ward where more than a dozen sleeping sick children lay.

Xander turned to Karen,

" I'm just shutting the door for a second, leave it shut." He ordered and Karen nodded nervously having listened to the frightened cry the nurse had just made.

Xander let the door to Lucas' room shut with a bang and the vamp turned to see who had made the noise.

" Hey, I'll let you in on a little tip, Plaid was never a good thing." Xander called out moving up the hallway and the Vamp turned to face the newcomer.

" I'll tell you what." Xander started conversationally, " You go back to what ever hole you crawled out of and I'll let you walk out of here." He offered and the vamp smiled,

" You'll let me?" He asked and Xander nodded " And if I don't go?" The vamp asked again moving towards Xander who smiled,

" Then you'll have a nasty encounter with a dust buster," He offered and the vamp paused surprised that the human knew what he was.

" Who are you?" The vamp demanded and Xander shrugged,

" The dustinator." Xander replied laying on a cheesy Arnie accent. Looking across at the nurse who had struggled to her feet he suggested,

" Why don't you go get security?" The nurse nodded and bolted down the corridor leaving only the vamp and Xander.

" So we going to do this?" Xander asked and the Vamp charged.

The vamp tackled Xander around the waist and knocked him against the wall hard, Xander in return brought his hands together to form a big fist and smashed them down into the vamp's back between his shoulder blades. The vamp grunted and let go of Xander and attempted a big right hook, which Xander ducked under easily and responded with an uppercut of his own, connecting with the vamp's nose.

The vampire stumbled back a few paces and Xander dipped a hand into his over sized jeans and came up with a stake,

" Don't leave home without it," He quipped but before he could move the vamp lashed out with a heavy boot and knocked into Xander's hand sending the stake skittering up the hallway. Xander stepped towards the vamp and delivered a kick of his own straight to the undead's groin. The vamp made a small noise and collapsed into a heap on the floor cradling his leather pants.

Xander took the opportunity to go after the stake but as he lent down to retrieve it the vamp tackled him again from behind grabbing him around the waist and knocking him into the floor, screaming as he went down the vamp recoiled violently and Xander grabbed the stake and jumped to his feet.

" What the hell!" The vamp demanded as he knocked away some smoke that was coming from his singed front.

" What the hell indeed." Xander stated and thrust the stake into the vamp's heart taking opportunity of the vamp's state of distraction.

Hiding the stake quickly Xander kicked at the neat dust pile the dust had formed and looked up as footsteps raced onto the ward.

A big security guard saw Xander who waved smiling and he launched into a tackle, grabbing Xander around the waist in mid air and slamming him into the lino. Xander's head connected painfully with the lino and he struggled for breath as the bigger man hit him in the face at the same time the nurse yelled.

" That's not him!"

The security guard winced and got to his feet, offering Xander a hand who took it only because he was unsure if he still had a spine and would be able to stand on his own. 

" Sorry." The man said gruffly and Xander held up a hand as if to say no problem but punched the guard in the face instead.

" Even stevens," he offered and the nurse moved in between the two men before they could start anything else. 

" Where did he go?" The nurse asked Xander who pointed towards the fire escape at the other end of the hallway,

" He ran off." Xander explained straightening up and holding onto his ribs which felt like they'd all been snapped in half. The guard sure did no how to tackle.

" Were you a footballer?" Xander asked and the guard nodded smiling, unconcerned with his own swelling eye. He looked down the hallway towards the fire escape and with a nod towards the nurse he was off, racing away like a dog after a rabbit.

Down the hallway a door opened and Karen stepped into the hallway cautiously,

" Xander are you all right?" She asked hurrying over to him and Xander nodded,

" I will be as soon as I find my spine." He offered making a show of looking around.

" Oh my god your cheek, what happened?" Karen demanded moving forward and fussing over him like a mother hen.

" Nothing, I'm fine." Xander offered and the nurse stepped forward,

" You should probably let me take a look at those ribs and that cut." She offered and Xander started to shake his head but a sharp pain caused by breathing changed his mind.

" I'll take you down to the ER." The nurse started but Xander shook his head,

" No ER." He stated and the nurse looked surprised but nodded,

" Ok, why don't you go back to the room you were visiting and I'll bring in what I need?" She asked and Xander nodded.

Walking gingerly with Karen hovering to one side, it took Xander a few moments to get seated awkwardly on the edge of a chair next to his still sleeping Nephew.

Raising a hand to his face he inspected his aching cheek and winced as his fingers came away sticky with blood. Just like him to get away from a fight with the super strong undead only to be beaten up by a human.

A few butterfly strips later and some relief from his aching ribs, Xander stood and stretched awkwardly in the hospital room. Karen had fallen asleep in a chair by Lucas' bed and Xander sighed as he walked over and planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

Xander had procrastinated enough, it was time to go see his brothers.


	4. Hi

The night was clear, the stars shone brightly, the moon beamed down and the wind swayed the trees gently. The night was peaceful save for the commotion coming from the old graveyard.

A man was running, dressed in a dirt covered new suit he tripped over broken headstones, nearly falling yet he still kept running every few seconds glancing desperately over his shoulder. The frantic style of the man's movements would have caused compassion to stir in anyone watching, until they knew the man was a vampire, born into the night only moments before.

Finally the man ducked behind a large statue of an angel and listened to the night, a few crickets chirped and an owl called but no other sounds came to his ears and he started to relax, wiping the dirt silently from his clothes.

A noise in front of him and the vamp looked up startled,

" Must suck, I mean you wake up in a coffin, crawl your way up six feet through mud and dirt and for what? " Xander asked and the vamp's face morphed, ridges forming on his forehead, fangs showing through artificially colored lips.

" For dinner." The vamp stated and charged, he made it a step before Xander killed him. The loud retort of the gun echoing in the stillness of the night, a weapon previously unsuccessful in vampire killing made possible by blessed bullets and a single drop of liquid silver in the core of a hollow point.

" Sucked to be you." Xander told the pile of ash before returning the gun to the waistband of his jeans, under a black leather jacket.

With the emergence of hundreds of Slayers, The creatures of the undead had upgraded weaponry in the battle for the night and while Slayers still didn't need to carry anything but a sharpened tent peg. Xander and many of the new watchers carried guns having been told of their success by Wesley a previous watcher now fighting the fight in L.A with Angel, for Xander buried instincts left over from a bizarre Halloween experience made the gun an extremely useful method of killing demons.

Xander was trying to go and see his brothers he really was but the thought had niggled in his head since leaving the hospital, where there was one vampire, there were usually others. A quick look in the paper and he had his answer, a young man had been killed by a rabid dog a few days ago. With no other reports of animal attacks or gangs on PCP Xander could probably safely assume that the vamp he had killed at the hospital had only been in town a few nights.

As Xander walked through the night he tried to think of what he might say in answer to the questions his brother might ask.  
When Xander had first found the memory of his past his first instinct had been to call Willow and ask her advice but as she chatted to him on the phone about South America, Xander found he didn't know how to tell her that the Snoopy dance had been a lie, that the yellow crayon had been a fabrication.

In the end he had turned to Giles who after much stammering had suggested that Xander tell the truth or at least a part of it to his family. That he grew up not knowing he had any other family. That nine years ago he had woken up in a hospital bed unable to remember who he was.

Of course that was easier said then done.

The light was on in Keith's garage and Xander watched from the open doorway as Keith clanged around an old Chevy, his actions frustrated and complete with a deep sigh every now and then. Finally obviously not being able to concentrate Keith flung the wrench he was using away into a wall of the garage, and hung his battered weary head and let out a deep shaky breath.

" Would it make you feel better if I said hi?" Xander asked from the doorway and Keith's head shot up and he stared at the stranger. 

" Depends who the hell you are?"

Xander stepped forward into the garage smiling at the look Keith was giving him, he stopped halfway when he realized Keith didn't recognize him. 

" You don't see it?" Xander asked and Keith frowned as Xander continued,

" Take away the eye patch, the band aid. Take away ten years." Xander instructed and Keith took a few steps forward still frowning,

" You can't be him. He died." Keith stated angrily and Xander shook his head,

" No I'm alive, "

The older man shook his head his mind telling him what he was seeing wasn't possible but his eyes showing him that it was.

" Jesus," Keith whispered and he closed the gap between Xander and himself, looking like he wanted to hug his little brother but not knowing how the man would take it.

" Give'us a hug kid?" He finally asked and Xander nodded at the same time Keith threw his arms around him.

They pulled two old chairs together and sat, Keith shaking his head every now and then a smile lighting up his face and then dying as he remembered real life.

" Where the hell have you been?" Keith asked as soon as the pair were settled and Xander gave him a small smile and explained the well rehearsed lie.

" For nine years I've had no idea who I was, where I came from. Then a couple of months ago I got into an accident and things, people started to come back. When it all fell into place I finally knew who I was. Where home was, so here I am." Xander stated that part being the absolute truth.

" What? Amnesia?" Keith snorted and Xander nodded,

" Yup, brought on by a blow to the head which I don't know how I got."

" So where have you been?" Keith asked

" You remember a town being sucked into the earth in California?" Xander asked and Keith nodded, it had been headline news for weeks. How town planners, governments anybody had failed to notice the huge fault line the town sat on.

" Sunnydale California, that's where I was, where I grew up."

" Jesus Christ Xander, you're grown up!" Keith exclaimed rubbing at his weary eyes.

Xander smiled,

" You look like shit Keith, " and Keith looked away,

" I nearly killed Lucas tonight, might of." Keith said softly looking away,

" It was an accident. Accidents happen, wasn't your fault and Lucas will be fine." 

Keith looked back at his younger brother and reached out a hand towards his injured cheek but ended up pointing to the eye patch.

" That an accident?"

" That was a piece of debris from the earthquake," Xander lied his stomach turning as a sudden image of Caleb came to mind. Forcing the picture out of the way Xander looked towards the Chevy,

" So looks like you've done pretty good for yourself?" He asked and Keith nodded wearily

" Yup my very own struggling business, how about you? What do you do for work?"

" I'm a carpenter, was. "

The conversation flowed on until the sun came up, Keith filling Xander in on all the goss from the last nine years in One Tree Hill and Xander asking after the people he used to know here. Finally Xander let out his third big yawn in a row and Keith stood.

" You got a place to stay? Cause you're staying with me." Keith told Xander and grabbed his jacket off of a hook on the wall.

" I don't think I could sleep," Xander followed Keith out into the morning light and stopped dead in his tracks as a police car pulled up in front of the garage.

Keith looked over at his brother who was staring at the officers in the car and asked,

" These guys here for you?" Xander shrugged casually and walked forward as the officers exited their car.

" Morning Sirs, which one of you is Alexander Scott?" Xander raised his hand and the two officers turned there attention to him as Keith looked on concerned. 

" Just need to get your statement about last night Sir. Ms Karen Roe said we'd probably find you here. You can come down to the station, it won't take long." One officer explained and Xander yawned again,

" Look guys I've been up all night and I don't know what more I could tell you, I mean the nurse probably got a better look at the guy then me, he took off pretty quick." Xander held out his hands and shrugged them in the air. 

" Yeah? Cause the nurse said that you took the guy on, that you could give us a full description?" The officer challenged

" Umm leather pants, brown shirt, medium height, average build, dark hair, I mean I didn't really get that good a look at him."

The officer nodded after a beat and held out his hand which Xander took and shook,

" Thanks for your help."

" Yeah, sorry I couldn't do more." Xander said as the officers turned and walked back to their car, Keith waited for the patrol car to completely leave before he asked. 

" What the hell was that about?"

" Nothing, I got into a fight with a guy hassling a nurse at the hospital last night, I guess the nurse called the cops." Xander shrugged and looked at Keith,

" You want me to drive?" 

Keith raised his eyebrows and nodded his car nearly a write off from the accident,

" Drive? You're old enough to drive." He breathed in disbelief and Xander stepped towards him and jabbed Keith lightly in the stomach,

" I'm old enough to do everything."

Keith let out a laugh and Xander pointed to the old truck he'd driven down from Cleveland.

" That's a piece of shit car." Keith stated and Xander whacked him lightly across the stomach,

" Hey my car got sucked into a sink hole and that's all I could afford."

With that the two brothers headed off home, enjoying the familiar banter they once had shared and now shared again.


	5. Just like home

The security guard who had hit him only a night before waved and smiled as Xander entered the hospital and a couple of nurses smiled at him, one thanking him as he headed up to Lucas' ward.

Xander found Karen by the coffee machine and handed her a real coffee he'd bought from a cart in the lobby.

" Thought you might need this?" He told her and Karen smiled gratefully,

" Thanks Xander, I don't know what they put in the machine here but it's not coffee."

" How's Lucas doing?"

" The same, still the same." She rubbed at her eyes wearily and tried to stretch out a kink in her back from two nights spent in an uncomfortable chair.

" Gotta say Karen, you really did a number on my Brother." Xander stated leaning casually against a wall and taking a sip of some coffee.

" Keith tell you he was drinking before he drove my Son? His own nephew and he was drinking." Karen retorted angrily and Xander shrugged,

" So he had a couple of beers if he was over the limit the cops would have arrested him, but they didn't cause he wasn't."

" I trusted him."

" You still can."

" No I can't, not with Lucas." Karen took a sip of her hot coffee and Xander shook his head,

" Keith would die for Lucas, you know Keith would swap places with Lucas if he could."

" Well I wish he would." Karen spat and as if startled by the vehemence in her voice she lifted a hand to her mouth,

" I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that." She stammered and looked at Xander who was simply looking at her.

" Be careful what you wish for." Xander finally stated flatly and he walked away,

" Xander!" Karen called out after him surprised at the cold tone the man had used but Xander didn't look back.

The word Wish had caused so much trouble in the past that as soon as Karen had said it Xander felt fear forming in the pit of his stomach, he needed to see Keith to make sure that he was all right but as he walked through the ER he got his answer.

Doctors worked frantically around a gurney and standing to one side stood an old man with a shaved head wearing a jacket which proclaimed him to be COACH. Whitey.

Whitey turned and looked at Xander and moved over to him,

" He was telling me how you'd come home, he was so happy and then he just fell over." Whitey stammered and Xander took off toward the gurney.

Pushing a nurse to one side, Xander stared down at his brother lying still on the bed. A tube had been inserted into his mouth and machines beeped and bleeped as Doctors worked. A nurse grabbed his shoulder,

" Sir you have to let the doctors work." She stated and Xander took a couple of steps back, staring at the scene in front of him terrified.

" What's happening?" He demanded and the nurse patted him gently on the arm,

" We're trying to work that out but you need to give us space to tend to him properly. " She said comfortingly and Xander craned his head to see what was going on.

His mind screamed at him that this was part of the wish that Karen had just made but there hadn't been anyone else around at the coffee machine to hear the wish and for the consequences to be real, a vengeance demon would have to have heard the wish.

Spinning on his heel Xander took off at a run through the hospital, ignoring the calls of Whitey as he raced past. Xander couldn't wait for the lift and he took the stairs to Lucas' ward two at a time, flying up them.

Finally he made it into the corridor leading to Lucas' room and he forced himself to slow down as he neared the door. A boy wearing a red tracksuit was walking toward him and for a moment Xander thought he recognized the face but he ignored the moment to check on Lucas.

Karen was sitting on her son's bed talking to Lucas, and Lucas was talking back. Lucas was awake, Keith was not. The two had traded places.

Karen looked up and smiled as she saw that Xander had returned,

" Hi, look who's awake."

Xander nodded closing his eyes briefly and sighing when he opened them Lucas was looking at him a confused look on his face,

" Mom?" He croaked and Karen turned back and stroked his face gently,

" It's Xander, honey. You remember your Uncle Xander?" She asked but Lucas shook his head, unable to recall the man in his doorway. 

Karen had turned back to look at Xander who now looked clearly upset.

" Xander?" Karen asked standing and Xander took a deep shaky breath.

" What it is it?" Karen asked standing grasping her son's hand for support,

" It's Keith, he's in the ER. He collapsed at Whitey's." Xander stated not verbalizing the words in his head that he really wanted to say, scream.

Xander looked at Lucas again who had struggled up in the bed concerned and then Xander turned away from the door and started down the hallway, Karen ran after him.

" Is Keith all right?" Karen asked grabbing Xander's arm and Xander turned to face her,

" You got your wish." He stated coldly and shrugged out of her grip angrily spinning away and storming down the hallway, back toward the ER.

Xander's phone rang as he walked away and he flipped it open and answered after a few irritating shrills.

" What?"

" Xander? Are you all right?" Giles asked and Xander couldn't help but smile, even across the other side of the world Giles' had picked up Xander's mood with one word.

" I'm dealing, what's up?"

" Just a general warning really, A coven in Charlotte warned the council of a large amount of power radiating from Tree Hill, they seem to think it has something to do in relation to you. Have you seen anything that might support their theory?" Xander could almost hear the Brit wiping his glasses on his shirt, 

" I dusted a couple of vamps, but nothing else. " Xander wondered if he should mention Karen's wish," My Nephew's Mom she made a wish earlier today and it came true but there wasn't a vengeance demon around. That's weird right?" Xander asked and Giles murmured,

" Are you sure the wish came true?" 

" Yup, she wished my Brother into a coma and guess where he is?" Xander shot back,

" Well that would certainly explain the power, " Giles pondered and Xander sighed, 

" What would?"

" Maybe a Chaos demon about to perform a ritual or a demi-god mucking about with fate. I'll look into it on this end and call you back, in the mean time I suggest you patrol tonight. And Xander I'm sure your Brother will be fine, if he's anything like you it would be hard to keep him down." The older man said comfortingly,

" Thanks G-man, I'll take a look around the town tonight,"

" Do you want me to call Faith have her join you?"

" No, I'll be fine. Thanks for the call Giles." Xander flipped the phone shut as he entered the ER and found Whitey who was still standing in the same spot Xander had just left him.

" What's going on?" Xander demanded as he noticed that the space Keith had lain was empty.

" They took him away for tests, but they think he's stabilized. Where did you run off to?" Whitey asked,

" Lucas is awake." Xander stated and turned to walk away but stopped short when he caught sight of a familiar face rushing through the doors of the ER. Dan Scott.

" Whitey? What the hell is going on?" Dan demanded bearing down on the high school Coach,

" Calm down Dan, they think Keith's going to be fine, he collapsed at my house and the Doc thinks there might be some pressure in his skull from the accident." Whitey explained and Dan shook his head angrily,

" Then why the hell would they have let him go in the first place! He should have been in a bed being monitored! Where's his Doctor?" Dan demanded, losing his temper and Xander standing besides Whitey reached forward and placed a hand on Dan's chest.

" Calm down Dan, Keith will be fine." Dan turned to snap at the intrusion and stopped short his mouth twisting into a look of shock.

" Xander." Dan spat with contempt, " What the hell are you doing here?" Dan demanded

" It's good to see you too Dan." Xander retorted and Dan knocked away Xander's hand from his chest, 

" You didn't answer my question."

" I came to see my family, I've missed you." Xander replied the last words said with a hint of sarcasm,

" You go for ten years with no word and you what expect me to be happy about your return?" Dan spat,

" Dan let's not do this now, Ok? I'm just as worried about Keith as you are and it's obvious you're a little upset."

Whitey interjected perhaps predicting where the heated argument between the two men might lead,

" Why don't we just settle down, Dan, Lucas is awake if you want to go and see him." Dan interrupted,

" And why would I want to do that?"

" Because he's your Son and because you obviously cared enough about him when you brought him in here." Whitey replied and Dan snorted,

" Don't confuse my civic duty with me caring for Lucas."

" Yeah Whitey, I mean it'd look bad for Dan to leave his Son in the street to die, and you're all about the image aren't you Dan?" Xander fired at his brother and Dan took a step toward Xander,

" Take me on Dan, Go on." Xander's voice was emotionless and cold and the tone startled Dan and while he didn't immediately back down he rethought the punch he was going to throw at his little brother. 

" Well at least image isn't a problem for you." Dan replied instead and Xander shrugged,

" It don't have to look pretty, it's just got to work."

" Will you two knock it off!" Whitey nearly shouted exasperated that the two brother's could be fighting at a time like this.

" He started it, " Xander said childishly which got a half smile from the old man,

" Well I'm finishing it, now let's be men and go and wait for Keith's results together?" Whitey suggested. 

Xander looked past Whitey into the night outside the hospital,

" Later, I got people I need to talk to." Xander stated and after pushing past his Brother he was gone.


	6. The night just won't leave him alone

Standard disclaimer still applies.

Xander stalked through the cemetery, the park, the woods and the grounds of the high school without so much as bumping into a pair of horny teenagers. He was on edge, desperate for news about Keith but more desperate to find whatever the new power in Tree Hill was, and who was controlling it. 

Finally Xander was checking out the Riverside courts when he noticed a strange set of tracks in the mud at the edge of the courts, now left deserted by the teenage well wishers.

Strolling through the chalk markings Xander felt the tingly sensation on the back of his neck as his hackles went up and he spun around hand going to the handle of his gun.

The blonde girl was staring at him again, but Xander turned away from her and resumed his search of the drawings finally finding one that stood out to him above the rest. 

Words in Latin were scrawled inside a pentagram and Xander said the words inside his head, for a moment remembering a time in Giles' apartment when he had set a book on fire by reading out a spell and Giles had snapped,

" Xander don't speak Latin in front of the books." Since then he worked the words out inside his head and spoke the translation in English. Tonight was no different.

" The drama will be acted out," Xander whispered to himself and he looked up from the drawing and stared into the night, watching for a sign that he was the one being watched.

Spinning in a circle apart from the fact the blonde had gone from the scene Xander didn't notice a thing, finally still staring into the night he called out,

" You made a mistake when you came after my family. " He turned again to look out over the water, " It's the last mistake you'll make!" 

The night remained silent but once again the hairs on the back of Xander's neck stood up and he retrieved the gun from his waistband and held it ready.

" Show yourself!" Xander called " Se Apello!" He tried in Latin, but though the hairs on the back of his neck stayed up, nothing appeared out of the night.

Staying on Guard Xander reached into his jacket and retrieved his cell, hitting the speed dial he held the phone up to his ear and kept watch, slowly turning in the night.

" Rupert Giles speaking, "

" Giles, it's Xander."

" You've found something?" The Brit asked

" A drawing in chalk on a basketball court, it's a pentagram and it's got Latin written in it, the translation is ' The drama will be acted out'. That's it for the moment except for the creepy feeling I'm being watched." Xander explained quickly not wanting to remain focused on the call too long in case there really was something in the night waiting for him to let his guard down.

" Of course! Calamitas!" Giles exclaimed on the other end of the phone and Xander made a huh noise,

" Calamitas, a type of demon that thrives on misfortune and disaster. They're most commonly found in small towns or villages where their work can have maximum effect. "

" So they make disasters?" Xander asked confused,

" They orchestrate disasters for their own benefit. An entire family gets wiped out in a freak disaster in a small town and the whole town grieves. Calamitas demons feed off the grief. "

" So how do I find it?" Xander demanded a picture of Keith lying on a hospital gurney, a tube down his throat,

" Calamitas will be near the drama, near the action. However I'll fix a summoning spell and try and fed ex it to you at once."

" And now the big question, can I kill this thing?" Xander demanded and there was a noise of uncertainty,

" Calamitas are not known for their strength but each demon is different, for one to target the known companion of a slayer I wouldn't underestimate him."

" Right cautious I'll be. So what am I looking for here, scaly, slimy?"

" Calamitas appears mostly human, look for little horns and an extra set of teeth. "

" Thanks Giles,"

" Xander, the Calamitas demon has targeted you and your family, keep an eye on them." Giles instructed

Xander thanked the older man and flipped the phone shut then looking into the night he yelled, 

" Oslendo Vestri Calamitas!" There was a strong gust of wind that blew up out of nowhere but apart from that the night remained quiet,

Using the side of his boot Xander smudged the chalk drawing he'd been standing on and with one last look into the shadows he set back off into the night. Picking up the strange tracks in the dirt on the other side of the basketball court Xander followed them into the night.

The tracks stopped once the ground beneath Xander turned to asphalt but he continued on, straining his ears in the night to hear any sign of the demon. Finally Xander's pursuit led him down the main street in Tree Hill and looking across the street, Xander noticed he was outside Karen's cafe. A place he used to frequent years ago.

A teenage girl was coming out of the cafe and she set two bags she was carrying down on the ground as she turned and pulled the glass doors shut locking them. Suddenly she was grabbed from behind by a man wearing all black and pushed violently up against the glass doors of her cafe so hard Xander thought that her head might break the glass.

" The money!" A rough voice demanded and the girl shook her head in fear,

" I don't have any! Take my wallet!" She shouted and Xander started across the street quietly.

" I don't want your wallet bitch. I want the money from the till!" The thug yelled

The girl was shaking in fear as Xander approached,

" There isn't any it was taken to the bank." She explained tears starting in her eyes from fear.

" What the fuck!" The man demanded and banged her against the glass again,

" There isn't any money!" The girl shouted trying to draw somebody's attention in the quiet street. 

The thug was silent a minute and Xander stopped wondering if he should wait for him to let go of the girl before he interceded. 

" Then you'll have to pay me another way, " The thug suggested and Xander crossed the remaining space between him and thug in a few long strides.

Grabbing the thug by the back of the neck with his left hand Xander dealt a strong blow to the man's kidneys causing the attacker to yell in pain and double over. Xander grabbed the back of the thug's head by his hair and kneed the man in the nose sharply, feeling the bones break in an explosion of blood. 

With a shove Xander had the man on the ground face down and he knelt on top of the man planting a knee between the man's shoulder blades sharply and pulling his arms back behind him. The whole attack had taken seconds.

" No means no." Xander told the thug and looked up at the girl to make sure she was all right.

The girl was in tears and shaking and Xander looked around the quiet street,

" Run," He suggested and the girl took off down the street but stopped afraid to continue into the night, 

Xander turned to the man under him,

" Who sent you?" He demanded,

" Fuck you," Came the reply and Xander grabbed a hold of one of the man's wrist and twisted it back sharply

" Wrong answer." He stated and the man underneath him froze,

" No, one sent me. I just wanted the money!" He yelled and Xander looked around the street,

" Calamitas! You out there?" Xander shouted watching the shadows but nothing moved and looking back towards the girl Xander leaned forward and whispered into the Thug's ear,

" You try this again and you're going to die. Do you understand?"

The Thug nodded and Xander got off him and watched as he ran in the opposite direction.

The girl moved back hesitantly, she was shaking from fear and shock and Xander un-tucked his shirt so that it would cover his gun and then took off his jacket and handed it to her.

" Thank You " She stammered,

" You live around here?" Xander asked and the girl shook and nodded her head at the same time,

" How about I walk you home?" He asked

" I was actually going to the hospital to visit a friend." The girl explained and Xander looked down the empty street.

" Do you mind if I walk with you?" He asked,

" Honestly I'd be a little freaked if you didn't." Hailey replied and Xander sent her a comforting smile.

" So who are you visiting?" Xander asked as they walked

" My best friend he was in a car accident a couple of days ago." Hailey sighed and Xander gave her a questioning look,

" It's silly ..." She trailed off and Xander waited for her to speak,

" Ok so I had a fight with him before the accident and then when he needed me most I couldn't go to the hospital and sit with him and now I just feel like maybe I let him down cause I wasn't there. But I couldn't be there because the last thing I said to him had been so harsh and I guess it just hurt too much to see him in that bed." Hailey blurted out and Xander let out a small laugh that he concealed in a cough and nodded sympathetically at Hailey.

" I think I know how you feel."

" Really?" Hailey asked raising her eyebrows in disbelief.

" Yeah Really... You see I've been away a long time and now that I'm home I find it hard to talk to the people that I knew back then because I can't help but feel like they'd be disappointed in me." Xander explained,

" How long?" She asked and Xander flashed ten fingers at her,

" Ten years, a long time."

" I suppose people's response might be based on why you left. Was it to get a job or something?" Hailey asked and Xander shot her a strange look,

" What?" She demanded and Xander smiled,

" How old exactly do you think I am?"

" I don't know like thirty something?" Hailey guessed and Xander shrugged, he'd lived a hard life and some of that meant that he looked older then his 24 years.

" I'm only 24 Hailey, " Xander revealed and Hailey looked thoughtful.

" So you left when you were 14, what did you move town with your parents?"

A simple shake of the head,

" With family?" Another shake,

" Hey..." Hailey said as she looked thoughtful,

" You're not Lucas' Uncle are you?" 

Xander turned to her in surprise, eyebrows raised in question.

" I'm Lucas' best friend." Hailey explained and Xander continued to look at her strangely,

" Sorry it's just when we were younger Lucas used to talk about you all the time."

When he was younger, not anymore.

Xander looked up at the hospital that they had arrived at.

" Do me a favor?"

Hailey turned to look at him,

" About me helping you out tonight, don't tell anyone?" Xander asked and although confused Hailey nodded.

" You coming to see Lucas?" She asked but Xander shook his head,

" Nah I got some stuff that I need to do." He explained and Hailey waved goodbye and set off towards the entrance, she turned to look at Xander one last time before going into the hospital but he was no where to be seen.


	7. Two brothers

Growing up in a house with a pair of alcoholic parents, Xander often dreamt about what his life would be like if he had parents that cared about him. Sometimes he'd spend the weekends at Buffy's just to hang out with Joyce as she performed mundane tasks around the house, just getting a feel of what a normal life might be like.

Funny this family in Tree Hill that Xander had discovered was still nothing like the one he had dreamed about but now in the quiet night Xander couldn't help but wonder … What would life have been like if he'd stayed?

The cemetery was still empty, the basketball court deserted and growing frustrated that Calamitas was nowhere to be found Xander wandered back to the hospital.

The wards were quiet now in the early morning and Xander found Keith's room easily, his brother was alone and Xander stood next to him holding his hand.

" You're not supposed to be here, visiting hours are over." A voice whispered behind him and Xander turned to see the nurse he had helped out the night before standing by the door.

" You going to kick me out?" Xander asked but the nurse smiled shaking her head,

" Nah, I just thought you might like to get some sleep, seems like it's been a rough couple of days for you." The nurse explained and she pointed to the wall besides her where a fold away bed was leaning.

" You are a god send." Xander stated and the nurse turned to leave,

" You too." She told him.

Xander set up the cot besides Keith's bed and he hit the mattress not even bothering to kick off his shoes or get rid of his jacket, he was asleep before he hit the pillow.

The sun shone through the window brightly as Xander woke and he rubbed his eyes wearily and sat up, swinging his legs around onto the floor he sat up before he realised someone apart from Keith was in the room with him.

Dan Scott sat in a chair on the other side of Keith's bed and although he made a show of looking at Keith, Xander felt sure that his big brother had been watching him sleep.

" How is he?" Xander asked looking at Keith himself,

" The Doc was in this morning, said the pressure's relieving itself, he thinks that Keith should be fine, but he's not sure when he'll wake up." Dan explained and Xander stood and stretched.

" Look Dan, I'm sorry about yesterday." Xander started but stopped as Dan just stared at him,

" What are you doing back here Xander? Dan asked tiredly and Xander frowned,

" Let's not do this now." Xander told his brother not wanting to get into another fight.

" You've been gone for ten years Xander. Why are you back? Why leave in the first place?" Dan asked angrily

" I know …" Xander trailed off not really knowing what to say, " Look Dan I can't change the past and I understand if you're angry at me for leaving but … " Xander stopped again and he sighed and shook his head staring at Keith lying still in the bed.

" What Xander?" Dan demanded " You put us all through hell and I think that I deserve at least to know why you did it?"

Xander stared at his Brother, then dropped his head

" You know I never smiled here Dan."

" What?"

" I never smiled here, I never laughed. I lived this fake life where half the time I had to sneak around just to see my Nephew, some one who actually made me happy and the other half of the time I had to pretend to be somebody that I wasn't. I was a miserable, weedy, weak little kid." Xander explained sitting back down on the bed. 

" Whitey said you didn't remember." Dan challenged obviously thinking he'd caught his Brother in a lie.

" I didn't, not until recently but… I grew up happy Dan. I had a good life with good friends and good laughs and I worked out how who I was. But I remember being a kid that used to have to pretend all day to be like his brother just so his Father would pay attention to him and I can't help but feel I'm glad I left. And I'm sorry if that's not what you wanted to hear."

Dan was silent and Xander stayed quiet too, finally he sighed and said,

" I never meant to be gone for so long, I thought that if I ran away everyone would know that I wasn't happy and that things would change when I got back, but I hit my head and I forgot who I was." 

When Whistler asked Xander to change his life he knew he would leave Tree Hill for a long time, but if this lie helped smooth things over with Dan than he'd stick to it.

There was a longer silence and finally Dan murmured,

" I'm Sorry." The older man's voice cracked and he dropped his head to stop Xander from seeing the tears in his eyes.

" Me too." Xander replied as Dan wiped his eyes.

Xander stood and he moved over to his brother Dan slowly,

" I missed a lot Dan and I don't want to miss any more, I want to be a part of this family again… if you'll have me." Xander stated and Dan nodded, 

" I think I'd like that." Dan stood and the two brothers embraced breaking apart as they heard applause by the door. 

Whitey stood with a huge smile on his face, he stopped clapping and stooped to hold up a gym bag.

" You two make an old man proud." He stated and Dan turned his head slightly obviously embarrassed by the comment.

" The Nurse told me you were here when I called Xander, so I thought you could use a change of clothes." Whitey explained as he tossed the bag to Xander.

" Thanks, " Xander replied gratefully and he moved back over to the bed and resting the bag on the cot he pulled out one of his own clean black t-shirts.

Shrugging off his jacket, Xander managed to untuck the gun from his waistband and hide it in the folds of the leather without the two other men in the room noticing. Then he turned to the wall to protect his modesty and pulled off his old shirt over his head.

Behind him Whitey let out an impressed whistle and Xander turned around in surprise, realising what the whistle had looked like Whitey let out a laugh. 

" I was looking at that big tattoo on your back." The old man said quickly and Xander waggled his eyebrows at Whitey,

" Sure thing," He replied and he looked across at Dan,

" Never picked you for a religious fanatic." Dan stated and Xander let out a laugh,

" It looks cool."

The Tattoo was a Celtic high cross which stretched the length of Xander's back. The cross was filled with intricate knot work and unless you examined the tattoo closely you'd never notice that within the knots names where stencilled. The names of all the people that never got out of Sunnydale, those who had been killed fighting the night. Most importantly the cross certainly helped in a fight when a Vampire was breathing down your neck.

" How's Keith?" Whitey asked as Xander turned around and Xander let Dan answer the question,

" Still the same." Whitey nodded and moved over to the bed and squeezed Keith's right hand in his own.

" Hey Keith, you should wake up, you're missing your brothers acting like brothers." Whitey told the prone man and Xander smiled a small smile and shot a look at Dan who was half smiling back.

" Really Keith I don't know how long this will last so you should open your eyes and join the reunion." Whitey tried again but the man on the bed stayed silent.

" Ok then sleep through it," stated Whitey and he leaned back and sat on the edge of the cot.

" Lucas was asking about you Xander." Whitey stated and Xander couldn't help but inwardly groan as Dan shot a glare across the room.

" I'll try and see him later, " Xander replied diplomatically and Whitey looked at Keith,

" Keith's not going anywhere, why don't you pop up now?" He suggested,

" He said he'd go later," Dan shot at the Coach and Whitey sighed,

" Looks like you two still have a few things to talk over, maybe I'll come back and visit Keith later," The man mused and stood gingerly and left without a word.

A silence hung awkwardly in the air and Xander sighed and pushed up the sleeve of his jacket to look at his watch,

" Look Dan, I'm not going to let Lucas come in between us again but at the same time he is still my Nephew and the whole reason I came back to Tree Hill was because of Family." Xander stated quietly and Dan just stared at him.

" Go, it's fine." The older man finally stated and Xander nodded and stood up.

Wandering over to a table by the window Xander grabbed one of the get well cards and scribbled his cell phone number down.

" Call me ok? If he even so much as twitches I want to know." Xander explained and Dan nodded,

" I'll see you around." Xander said and headed out of the room heading not to Lucas's room but out again on the search for Calamitas.


	8. Nearing the end

Hyenas are one of the best long distance runners on the planet, and it's not because of their size but because of their unique style of running, loping across the plains allowing them to travel vast distances without expending too much energy. Xander had the same ability and now with a warm breeze blowing across the town Xander loped through Tree Hill worried about the increase in activity in a town where nothing usually happened.

First Lucas and Keith had been injured and Keith had lapsed into a coma, then the nurse had been attacked at the hospital, Hailey had been attacked at the cafe and the sky overheard was darkening by the second, warning of an impending storm. Enough was enough, Calamitas had to die.

Problem was that the package still hadn't arrived from Giles and Xander had no idea where Calamitas could be, he was chasing ghosts and getting really pissed off doing so.  
An irritation made worse by the fact that for the last fifteen minutes Xander had been shadowing a raccoon mistakenly thinking the creature lurking in the shadows had been a demon.

Circling back around the town Xander once again came to the basketball courts to think. Sitting on the bleachers he shut his eyes and forced himself to concentrate on the sounds around him not really sure that Calamitas would be out in the day but Xander knew that Calamitas had to be close by he could feel it.

" Mind if I sit?" A voice asked and Xander snapped his eyes open to see the Blonde girl he'd run into a few times standing besides Hailey,

" Knock yourself out." Xander stated staring at Hailey who couldn't meet his gaze,

" I'm Peyton and this is Hailey." Peyton stated and Xander turned to look at her, 

" Xander, " He replied

"Umm we're Luca's friends and well he'd really like to see you." The blonde explained and Xander's eyes scanned the area around the riverside courts.

" Look Peyton I'm …busy at the moment but tell Lucas that I'll stop by the hospital later.

" Busy doing what?" Peyton demanded,

" I'll be by when I can, I have something to take care of first, " Xander shot back losing his patience and standing, looking over his shoulder he stopped for a moment and then leapt from the bleachers.

Three men were making their way towards the trio,

" That your car?" One asked Xander pointing to the convertible that Peyton had pulled up in.

" No it's mine, and what's it to you?" Peyton demanded stepping forward and one man pulled a knife,

" Cause it's ours now." The man with the knife sneered, and Hailey gasped in shock.

Xander took a step forward himself and the man with the knife watched him,

" You going to play hero?" Another man asked the chains he was holding catching the light on the court.

" You're making a mistake." Xander told the men in a cold calm voice, " I'll give you one chance to walk away."

The three men laughed and Xander stared at them his eyes cold,

" Go to the car and stay out of the way." Xander instructed the girls standing behind him,

" I can help." Peyton started but Xander replied

" Go!"

Hailey and Peyton scampered away and Xander looked at the three men

" Did he send you?" Xander asked and one of the men laughed,

" Nobody sends us anywhere."

Xander nodded and leapt into a kick his heavy boot catching the man in the stomach,  
The man doubled over and Xander performed a near perfect spinning kick and his boot hit the side of the man's head with a sickening crunch and the man fell still to the ground.

" In a minute you're going to wish you'd walked away." Xander stated moving forward toward the man with the knife.

The man took a big swipe and Xander leaned out of the way of the blade, allowing the man's arm to come close to Xander's body and as the man attempted to pull out of the momentum from the big swing Xander punched him in the face.

The man staggered backwards but stood straight and he lashed out again. Putting all his strength behind a blow that was aimed at plunging the knife into Xander's chest.

Xander caught the man's wrist as it descended towards him and kicked the man in the crotch. The man made a noise like he was about to be sick and curled forwards, but Xander twisted the wrist he still had back behind the man's back and planting a boot in the middle of the man's back he pulled the man's arm back savagely, the man dropped the knife and Xander pushed the man forward and sent him sprawling across the pavement.

Still watching the man, Xander kicked the knife well away and turned to where the third man was standing shocked. Seeing that the man wasn't yet a threat Xander went after the man lying on the ground,

Walking behind the struggling men, Xander looped his arm around his opponent's neck and started to apply pressure the man started to struggle but Xander ignored the flailing arms and held strong until the man sagged unconscious.

Looking back at the third man he smiled and the man pulled a gun pointing it straight at Xander. 

Xander scooped the dropped chains off the ground and wielding them like a whip crashed them down against the gun and the man's hand. The gun clattered to the ground and Xander kicked it away hastily.

Xander swung the chains and moved towards the man who looked at the chain wielding one-eyed young man and bolted.

" You make me chase you and I'm going to be pissed!" Xander yelled but the man didn't slow down and looking back to make sure the other two men were still unconscious Xander took off after the third racing away from the light of the basketball court. When Xander neared the fleeing man he swung the chain again and sent it flying through the night where the metal wrapped around one of the man's legs and he became tangled and fell.

Xander jumped on the man and delivered a sharp blow with his elbow to the back of the man's head stunning him, then he snatched the chains again and wrapped them around the man's wrists pinning his arms behind his back.

" You make me carry your sorry ass and I will hurt you." Xander growled into the man's ear and grabbing him under the elbow forced him up onto his feet and walked him back to his fellow assailants. 

" You two ok?" Xander called out to Peyton and Hailey who both nodded staring at Xander as they emerged from behind the car.

" What?" Xander asked looking around to make sure there weren't any more threats.

Looking back, Peyton opened her mouth a couple of times but was basically speechless finally she gave up,

" Maybe we should call the cops," Hailey suggested looking at the two men sprawled on the ground,

" Maybe we shouldn't." Xander suggested and he was going to continue but stopped as a figure appeared by the water's edge.

The figure was tall nearly 7 foot high and wide and Xander noted the girls had stepped forward obviously seeing the same thing. Moonlight reflected of a long broad sword and the figure roared into the night. Calamitas.

" What the hell is that?" Peyton half shouted as Calamitas neared the trio,

" Go." Xander stated and the girls started towards the car but stopped short of getting in looking back to Xander.

" Come on Xander!" Hailey shouted,

" I'll meet you back at the hospital." Xander told the girl,

" Xander!" Peyton shouted in disbelief and Calamitas let out another roar, the girls screamed and jumped into the open top car.

" Go, " Xander stated again and prowled towards the demon.

The hunt was over and now the fight would begin.


	9. The end?

Chapter 9 - The final installment of Time to Go Home.  
AN: Thanks for reading, Standard Disclaimer still applies. 

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Lucas blinked his eyes open slowly, adjusting to the dim light in the room and the figure that sat slumped in the chair by his bed.

" Hey," The boy croaked and Xander lifted his head up and smiled,

" Hey yourself." He replied and looked away as he caught the shocked expression on Lucas's face. With only one eye, his patch lost in the scuffle with Calamitas and too many bruises to count Xander hadn't even dared look in a mirror he dreaded to think what he looked like.

" What happened?" Lucas demanded,

" I came to say goodbye Luke,"

" What? Why?" The teen demanded struggling into a painful sitting position,

" What I do now. Who I am…I made the mistake of thinking I could just take a break from that to come home. I never thought they'd come after you, " Xander shook his head

" Who would? Xander you're not making any sense." Lucas begged and Xander rose painfully from the chair, a hand holding his side where he was sure one of Calamitas' blows had broken his ribs.

" I'll come back," Xander whispered and he turned to the door,

" Xander!" Lucas called and Xander turned his head

" Look after Keith for me will you, he's not going to understand but tell him that I won't put this family at risk any more. That I won't be responsible for you getting hurt again."

" Xander you can't go, " Lucas called out but it was too late Xander was already gone.

He made it to his car before Dan caught up with him,

" Xander?" His older brother asked and Xander unlocked the car door but didn't open it yet as he turned to Dan, 

" That's it you're leaving? " Dan demanded and Xander nodded

" And what was all that crap about wanting to be a part of this family last night? You just make that up to play me?" 

" No Dan, but…" Xander hung his head,

" What?" Xander?"

" Keith and Lucas are lying in there because someone wanted to get to me. " Xander stated and Dan frowned,

" What?" He asked not understanding,

" He thought if he took my family out then I'd stop coming, he thought it would stop me but it won't."

Dan still looked confused,

" What are you talking about Xander?" He asked 

" I left to join a fight Dan,"

" I thought you ran away to make a point?" Dan queried and Xander shook his head, 

" I was offered an opportunity, an opportunity that I couldn't turn down because it was too important."

Dan shook his head, " What could be more important than your family? " The older man was getting angry and Xander raised his hands gently and with hand drew a semi-circle.

" This," He stated as he drew the globe,

" What?" Dan demanded and Xander smiled,

" The World."

" You ran away because of the fight for the World?" Dan stated in disbelief and Xander nodded,

" A fight that has raged for centuries between good and evil, and I was told that I could save the world. That I could make a difference."

" Have you lost your mind?" Dan blurted

" I don't care if you believe me Dan but you at least deserve to know the truth and to know that I can't stay until a little more of the battle is won. Until I know that you'll be safe."

" You really believe that don't you."

" Take care of them for me Dan, and I'll be back. I promise I'll be back."

Dan stared in shock as Xander climbed into the truck, and as Dan took a step back the truck roared into life and took Xander away into the night.

" You have been hunting me Human?"

Xander nodded retrieving his gun from the waistband of his pants,

" You came after my family, " 

" They were a means to an end."

" Yeah, what end?"

" You. " The demon stated and charged the broad sword raised above his head.

Xander emptied the clip into the demon who was forced back by the impact of the bullets but otherwise unaffected by the shooting.

" Your weapons are of no use Human,"

The demon charged again and brought the sword down, Xander blocked the strike with the gun the two metals clanging loudly in the night, taking a step forward Xander kicked out at Calamitas, his boot catching the demon in the stomach.

" They said you would be a challenge." The demon said with a cough and a grin as he stumbled back,

" Who said?" Xander demanded as he fetched another clip from his pocket and jammed it into the weapon,

" My employers."

The shock of the statement nearly caused Xander to stop still but Calamitas raised the sword again and the motion snapped Xander out of the daze as he fired again, this time his aim targeted at the sword itself.

Sparks flew from the weapon as the bullets hit the steel and the sword flew out of Calamitas' hands, driven by the force of the gunshots.

" Somebody hired you to attack this town?" Xander demanded the demon as the two circled each other,

" No, somebody hired me to attack you." The demon answered as he charged, tackling Xander around the middle and pile-driving him into the ground, forcing the air violently from Xander's lungs.

Xander gasped for air and twisted his legs up underneath the massive body of the demon and as the demon punched Xander twice hard across the face with fists the size of melons Xander kicked out with both legs and sent the demon flying off of him.

Calamitas landed on his back and Xander scrambled away and retrieved the demon's sword and using two hands to hold it he advanced on Calamitas once more.

" Who hired you?" Xander demanded and Calamitas smiled,

" They are not a who, but a union, taking the fight for the night from the streets and transforming it into an organised society better equipped to handle the multitude of Slayers who have infected the world. " 

" Their name?" Xander demanded and Calamitas shook his head and pushed himself into a standing position,

" Should they want you to know their name, then you would know their name." 

The demon charged again and Xander brought the sword up but not in time for a strike, the sword impaling the demon through the chest as he tried to once again tackle Xander. The pair fell to the floor where it was a struggle for Xander to claw his way out from underneath the dead demon.

" Why do I get the feeling you were just the messenger." Xander sighed as he watched the body begin to sizzle and finally dissolve into a thick purple goo which drained through the ground.

As Xander drove he relayed the new information to Giles on his cell phone, who ordered him back to the Council's headquarters for research. There was a new threat in the night and knowing that they would be prepared to target the families of the Council's warriors there was an increased urgency to find those responsible.

Xander flipped the phone shut and sighed as he read the sign caught in the truck's headlights, ' Thankyou for visiting Tree Hill, Come Again Soon." Then the truck rounded a corner and Tree Hill was once again behind him. 

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The End for Now.


End file.
